The popular YouTube channel DidYouKnowGaming? fell victim to hackers today, with the cybercriminals compromising the Google account and then changing the channel's name and logo to Ripple, the company linked to the controversial XRP cryptocurrency.
This tactic is often employed by scammers who hijack high-profile accounts in order to deceive victims into investing in fraudulent schemes or parting with their digital assets.
In this case, the hackers have leveraged the sizable audience of the DidYouKnowGaming channel, which boasts 2.4 million subscribers, to promote their scams.
The gaming community responded with dismay to the news, expressing concern for the content creators and hoping for a swift resolution.
Users have reported seeing unfamiliar content in their subscription feeds and suspect that the channels have been rebranded as part of the scheme. Some users have shared that the original videos may have been made private or delisted instead of deleted, offering a glimmer of hope for the affected creators.
XRP scams are not rare on YouTube. In 2020, Ripple sued YouTube, accusing the video-hosting giant of not taking appropriate measures to combat the fraudulent use of its platform by scammers who impersonated Ripple executives and promoted XRP giveaway scams. As a result, unsuspecting users fell prey to these schemes, losing their digital assets to bad actors.The parties then decided to settle the lawsuit. The settlement terms have not been disclosed, but Ripple and YouTube are expected to work collaboratively to improve measures against crypto scams on the platform.
Gamza Khanzadaev
Denys Serhiichuk
Yuri Molchan
